The independent transmission operator ICGB will hold annual auctions for the available capacity of the gas interconnector between Greece and Bulgaria on July 1.
Quantities will be offered for five consecutive gas years, with the capacity varying for the different interconnection points—with the networks of Bulgarian operator Bulgartransgaz, Greece’s DEFSA, and the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), respectively.
For the upcoming gas year 2024/2025, ICGB will offer on competitive auctions the available capacity of the two interconnection points in Greece, amounting to 1,161,784,139 Nm3/year or 37,333,058 Kwh/d/y. The available capacity in the amount of 1,027,334,020 Nm3/year, or 33,012,605 Kwh/d/y, will be offered for the interconnection point in Bulgaria.
Traders will be able to book capacity in advance to transport volumes that will flow from the LNG terminal in the Greek city of Alexandroupolis upon its commercial launch.
The auctions will take place on two independent capacity-booking platforms, RBP and PRISMA. Less than two years after the start of commercial operation, the IGB interconnector already has more than 40 registered users who can participate in the upcoming auctions.
IGB has a total capacity of 3 bcm/year, with nearly 1 bcm booked on a long-term basis under a 25-year contract for gas coming from Azerbaijan. The pipeline contributes to supplying over 50% of Bulgaria’s domestic gas consumption in the winter months and up to 80% in the summer season.
